Funny man’s big budget
The stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre spent years living in rented flats, and at one point found himself £40,000 in debt — but things have been looking up since his televised roadshow turned him into a household name. Having spent £3.2m on a house in north London in 2009, he is now looking for a second home in the country. He has set his sights on the Cotswolds and has a £1m-£1.5m budget, according to sources in the area. McIntyre, 35, grew up in Hampstead, not far from the six-bedroom home that he shares with his aromatherapist wife, Kitty (pictured with McIntyre), and their two sons, Lucas and Oscar. He recently confirmed that he will be going on tour again this year.
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Sassoon sale
An estate on the Isle of Mull that was home to Siegfried Sassoon’s wife and son is on sale for £1.55m. Benbuie stands on nearly 4,000 acres of land on the shores of Lochbuie, with a six-bedroom lodge, a cottage and a farmhouse. Sassoon, whose reputation as a poet was established by his verse about the first world war, caused a stir when he married Hester Gatty in 1933 — she was 19 years his junior, and most of his previous relationships had been with men. After the couple separated, Hester bought the estate to live on with their son, George, who owned it until his death in 2006. It is being sold by his widow through Savills (0131 247 3704, savills.co.uk).
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Quaid rides off
Dennis Quaid has put his equestrian estate in Los Angeles on sale for $16.9m (£10.5m). The French-style 8,400 sq ft country house that the actor, who was married to Meg Ryan in the 1990s owns in Pacific Palisades has eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a wine cellar, a gym, a swimming pool and a spa, all set in two acres. Quaid, 56, starred in 1980s blockbusters such as The Big Easy and recently played Bill Clinton opposite Michael Sheen’s Tony Blair in The Special Relationship. He is planning to return to Texas, where he grew up, to be near his family. Quaid’s older brother, Academy Award-nominated Randy, was charged in September with burglary for squatting in his former home, which he sold several years ago.
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Jessie J
The songs of pop starlet Jessie J, 22, may have been soaring up the charts in recent months, but it looks like it could be some time before the cash starts to roll in. The singer — real name Jessica Cornish — is believed to have recently started to rent a relatively modest two-bedroom flat in west London. Similar-sized properties in the building have been available for £475 a week. Jessie J grew up in the capital and last month released her debut album, Who You Are.
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